96 ranger 4.0 auto transmission reliabilty

[RangerRough]

Hello community!
I am seeking knowledge about the auto trans in my recently purchased 96 ranger 4.0. My buddy says they are complete garbage. I am taking it in today or tomorrow to be rebuilt and new torque converter. I tried for a long time to find one with a manual tranny but everyone holds on to theirs. Anyways, my concerns are that i have a 8.8 geared with 4.88’s for bigger tires, is this rebuilt tranny going to be reliable, i plan on using it for overlanding, travelling 200-300 mile hunting and fishing expeditions and need it to not break down on me. Is there anything i can do to make it stronger if they are garbage tranny’s? Shift kit? Billet pump? Etc. i plan to put 35’s on it if i can, if not 33’s. I am kinda nervous because of how bad he put down ford tranny’s but i did research and from 95-97 were built with the better drive trains. Please help me and any knowledge, info, advice is greatly appreciated, byw i am new to rangers and building them so i am kinda a nooby. Let me know!

 

[adsm08]

The 95+ trans is much better.

 

[RangerRough]

The 95+ trans is much better.

Thank you! Much appreciated!

 

[Shran]

You'll be fine. Your 4.88 gears will help a lot. May think about a bigger aftermarket trans cooler too.

Heat and lack of maintenance are big contributing factors to the demise of earlier transmissions, and combined with some weak points led to their bad reputation.